{"id":204598,"date":"2021-04-29T18:32:19","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T05:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/?p=204598"},"modified":"2021-04-29T18:32:20","modified_gmt":"2021-04-29T05:32:20","slug":"food-safety-nz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/regulatory-and-compliance\/food-safety-nz\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Is Responsible for Food Safety in an NZ Restaurant?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Maintaining <\/span>food safety<\/span><\/a> and proper hygiene is a crucial part of running a restaurant. If you fail to uphold a high standard of food safety, not only will you lose customers, you will likely face legal fines as well. You and your team are responsible for ensuring that your restaurant meets its legal requirements for food safety. This means implementing safe food procedures across your restaurant at all points of the process, from kitchen to table. New Zealand has a comprehensive national food control scheme, and you need to ensure that your business complies with your legal requirements. This article will go through a brief summary of food safety laws in New Zealand and outline who is responsible for food safety at your restaurant.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food Safety Law<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Food law in New Zealand operates on a sliding scale. The more risk involved with food at your business, the more you need to ensure that food is safe in line with <\/span>NZ\u2019s regulatory programme.<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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For example, your restaurant will deal with more food risk than a food delivery business because you are responsible for its preparation. Therefore, you will need more extensive requirements for how you handle that food.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The exact nature of your legal requirements will depend on your food control plan. You may use a government-issued template plan or one tailored for your needs. Your local council or the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will monitor this process. When you want your restaurant verified for compliance with the relevant program, you will need to have a verification officer come to inspect your business.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), which operates through MPI, regulates specific food safety standards. The particulars of what you need to follow will depend on the kind of food you serve at your restaurant. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you fail to meet your food safety obligations, you could face severe legal penalties. For companies, this could include fines up to $500,000. For individuals, this could include up to $100,000 in fines and up to five years imprisonment.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Who Is Responsible for Food Safety at My Restaurant?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NZ law implies a duty on every person who trades in food to ensure that it is both safe and suitable to eat. In practice, this means that the food you sell must not cause hazardous health effects, such as food poisoning. You also must not <\/span>mislead your customers<\/span><\/a> about your food with its packaging or labelling. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a responsibility across your entire team to uphold food safety standards at your restaurant. However, as a business owner or manager, you are likely the one who will face any legal consequences due to food mishandling. Therefore, you need to create a culture promoting food safety from the top and ensure that everyone works to maintain a high standard of safety. You need to ensure that you train your staff adequately to meet this responsibility. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You should train staff:<\/span><\/p>\n